


chalky by the sea

by sodas



Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-09
Updated: 2013-05-09
Packaged: 2017-12-10 21:35:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/790413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sodas/pseuds/sodas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“It’s because you’re all so pale,” Shinji laments. Taking any of them to the seaside was bound to be a perfect storm for sunburns.</p>
            </blockquote>





	chalky by the sea

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a post from Tumblr user jolly-sooks. He mentioned a similar scenario, and my heart became overwhelmed with the idea of some darling group trip to the beach…

Shinji is stammering in such a way that Kaworu has to laugh, even as his own mirth jostles his poor nerves and makes his toes curl in a cringe. “Kaworu-kun, this sunburn looks  _really bad,_ ” Shinji’s saying. “Really bad! Isn’t that kind of worrisome?!”   
  
“Haha,” Kaworu says pleasantly, but he presses his face into his pillow. He’s flat on his stomach; he suspects that even downfeathers against his back would be agony. “No, no, it’s all right,” he mumbles. “I should have guessed that this would happen.”  
  
“Well I  _told_  you that it would!” Shinji cries, and clucks his tongue, exasperated. He feels guilty for his own tan when Kaworu has reddened so. “We had the umbrella set up and everything, you should have stayed underneath…”  
  
There’s a certain hum, a habit of Kaworu’s. Shinji has deduced by now that Kaworu makes it whenever he’s particularly endeared by something Shinji says or does. “With Rei?” he asks, turning his head. Now that his cheek’s on his pillow, it feels aflame, but he wants to look at Shinji. “Even she escaped with a pink nose.”  
  
“It’s because you’re all so pale,” Shinji laments. Taking any of them to the seaside was bound to be a perfect storm for sunburns… He settles himself on the edge of Kaworu’s futon, wary of carelessly bumping against any burned skin, and pops the cap off a jar of aloe vera gel. “At least you and Ayanami put some lotion on at all. You’d think at least Asuka would’ve been more sensible…”  
  
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Kaworu laughs, and then scrabbles to clutch at the bedsheet. “Ahh!”   
  
“Ahh?!” Shinji jerks his hand back. “I’m sorry! I have to put this on you, though! It- It’s going to hurt, but… But it should feel better later!” His fingers are ginger and sheepish, and the aloe vera shines in slow smears over Kaworu’s shoulder blades. “Don’t you think you should go to a doctor or something? Seriously, this looks awful. I bet it feels even worse…”  
  
His shaking shoulders come with a high price, but Kaworu can’t quell it. Shinji’s earnestness makes him bubble. “It can’t be helped,” he says, and his voice is gentle, like Shinji’s hands, if less clumsy. “You’re very kind to help me this way. I think I’ll be all right.”  
  
Down the hallway, Asuka is making feral noises into her blankets. “It can’t be helped,” Rei says woodenly, maybe washed out by the miserable growls, but she makes her fingers gentle. She thinks she’s looking forward to next summer, too.


End file.
